Fastener



April 10, 192s.

W. N. HUNTER FASTENER Filed Feb.l5, 1925 'llll/IIIlll/lllh//Illllllz J' www@ '5,5 when pushed upwardly.

Patented Apr.' 101, 1928.

lWILLIAM N. HUNTER, or BLANcHnsTEn, 4OHIO.

restraints. v

i Application filed- February 13, 1925i.r Serial 110,8,8'87.

My invention relates to fasteners more particularly for straps or iiexible members A for handbags, mail bags, pouches and the like, although the fastener' can be used for 5 any other purposes for which it is found applicable.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective device for this purpose,

. which when the two members are broughttogether and caught will not have any tendency to spring open and in which the latches as they are forced into locking posi-y tion will draw the twomembers more closely together sothat there will be no looseness or lost motion between the parts, nor any liability to pull apart and in which the latches can be permanently locked with a v key.

My objects are atained by that particular 20 combination and arrangement of parts which 'will be hereinafter more particularlying for the locking members is Hat andv formed of a back plate 7 and a cover 8 for 35 one member and a back rplate 9. and cover plate l() for the other member. 1 Between these members the two parts of the strap are secured by rivets 3, 4, and 5, 6.l In each case in order Ato insure againstr the straps pulling out in use, the straps are first folded around a thin metal platei4aand 5ain-each instance and the folded end is inserted between the front and back plates ofthe respective cas-V ings. Mounted between the front and'back plates 7 and 8 at each side are permenently secured hook membersvll and 12 formed i with hooks13 and V14 turned towards each other.

t Between the front and back plates of the other member are mounted on thev rivet 15,

so as to rock, the Lshaped latches 16 and 17.

The horizontal arms of these latches project through the sides of the casing which are cut away to allow the latches to turn A spring 18 is mounted between the vertical arms 19, 19,

of the latches't'o force them outwardly-and the outer ends ofthe'se arms are formed with hooks 20, 20, extending downwardly in .a position to enga-ge the hooks 13, 14, of

the other locking member when the latches are inserted between the cover plates 17 and 8. The projecting lower edges ofthe fixed hook members l11 and 12` are beveled at 21,

and the outer edges of the latches areY corj .respondlngly beveled so that as the` latches are inserted they will berockedtopermit the latchesto pass the fixed hook members when the spring 18 will insure engagement of the hooks.' The hooks are sloped in theirv 70 A engaging edgesV inVoppo-site direction so that, as they engage, the casing members of the two parts are drawn towards each other thus taking up any lost motion or looseness between the parts. The respective hooks being thus interlocked there'is nol liability of the latchesl slipping out of engagement.

In order to lock the latches in 'engagement I mount in the upper casing a keeper,` 22

which can be turned by a key. This keeper has lugs 23 and 24 which when turned anti-=k clockwise enter between the ends of the latches to hold them in locked position.y AY head or lug 25 is formed on one ofthe latch hooks to serve as a stop for the lug on the :Q5

keeper when in locking position, and a stopV 26 limits the opening movement inthe op. posite direction. v v

, As the latches in one membery and 'the hooks in the other are all in the same plane the entire construction can be madevery thin sothat the two members ofV the vlock willA add Vveryflittle tothe thickness of the straps or v.other parts that are to be locked together and inwmaking engagement the latch hooks 5 swing downwardly so as to pull the vparts together and to make a close joint 'between f. the ends of the straps.

Havingthus described invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Let- 1to0 l tersPatent, is f r1. In a fastener of the character 'speci-'- fied comprising two casing members, one f member provided with a pair ofpermanent-- ly fixed hooks spaced `apart and facing each i Vother,'and the other member 'providedV with Y a corresponding pairV of L-shaped latches pivoted together, with one arm ofthe L- shaped latches provided with hooked ends turned in opposite directions to be inserted between the fixed hooks and the other arm projecting from the sides of the casingand Y a spring to hold the hooked end of the latches separated, the interengaging Vhooks 1 being beveled to draw the tWo casing mem- 1 bers, together upon engagement.

2. Ina fastener ofthe character specified comprising two casing members,y one member provided With a pair of permanent- 1y fixed hooks spaced ,apart and'facing each pivoted together, each latch having a hooked end tnrned so as to engage a permanently fixed hook, and 'each latch having an arm projecting from the casing, the permanent- 1y spaced hooks V,having beveled engagement Vportions to cause the. hooked ends of the latches to approach, onethe otheigdu'ring insertion, and means tending to resilently hold'the hooked'ends ofV the latches apart. WILLIAM N. HUNTER. 

